Porcelain Child/ChapterTwoPrologue

The Tepet manse took up an impressive chunk of the skyline over Noble. It towered over the other buildings of the port city, an enourmous eddefice of wood, jade and gold. The colours were almost garish in a way, with roof tiles of a forest green which clashed terribly with the red walls and painted wood railings with gold leafed trimming. The contrast was even more apparent at night when the burners were lit, lighting the square windows with dazzling yellow. The tiered structure, was nearly seven floors high, but only the top five had any windows. Terraces jutted out at random on the lower floors, often with small courtyards and guardens. Large decorated chimneys srpouted out seemingly at random, some belching smoke from the many kitchens deep within the bowels of the manse and others pouring steam from the baths into the sky.

In the dimming light, one could see people in varying dress moving across the manse's bridge. A few formed little knots on the bridge to talk, some just continued across to the impressive main garden that surrounded the manse's great doorway. The base of the manse was lapped at by water, the whole area was a man-dug lagoon that connected to the sea.

As the sun dipped below the horizon the lights of the manse began to glow, yellow from the windows, and all matter of colour began to eminate from the gardens. Against the purple and orange sky the entire structure was like a beacon, beautiful in its oppulence. It was an impressive sight, especially from where Tany was sitting. There was a time when the young exalt would have admired a sight like this, but now he didn't give it a second glance. He was not here for the view.

Tany sat himself down underneath the small gnarled tree quietly, the shawl whipped and whirled around him. He willed the writhing fabric into silence and it slowly floated lower, moving little except to lap against him and the tree trunk like the calm waves of a peaceful ocean.

He pulled the drawstrings free on a pouch he carried and pulled the item inside out and held it in his hands. It was a flat oval shaped piece of what appeared to be glyph-covered ivory, about a fingerlength at its largest point. There was a hole drilled on each end, from which a small string tassle hung, one purple, and one blue. Onto its flat side where cut a pair of semi-parallel grooves.

Tany looked around to make certain that he was alone, then fitted the item into his mouth much like a horse's bridle, putting his teeth into the grooves with the tassles hanging down either side of his mouth. He closed his eyes and concentrated, working his tongue against the smooth surface untill it offered no resistance and his tongue passed through it as if there was nothing there. He sat and waited for a response.

The item worked by calling the least wind spirits into a chain between the item and it's twin nearly a nation away. When one operator spoke, the 'grapevine' of air spirits would pass the message to the next in the chain untill it reached the operator using the twin device. In essence it was a chain of chinese whispers, but the spirits used were not sentient enough to foul the message up, making it a very reliable and fast method of communication - not to mention secure. The chain of spirits could not be tapped into, but someone other than the intended recipient could be at the othe end. Unlikely.

There was a slight vibration in the ivory indicating that the recipient had responded.

"Report?" The voice was hollow, as if spoken to him through a bamboo tube, but it was unmistakeable and straight to the point.

"I beleive I have located the information you need." Tany responded.

"Ah, so Krennell funded the purchase?" the voice said.

"You were correct, he did. I was unsure untill today as to why, however events seemed to fall into place, you were correct it seems. Tepet Anona unwittingly gave me just what I needed to secure Krennell's aid. You may move safely with his support."

"Good. And what of the real buyer?" the voice questioned.

"Dust and echoes, as expected. He hides well."

The voice on the other end of the connection sighed. This was not altogether unanticipated, they had only just discovered a trail to the buyer. Conceivably, it did not matter, the Hilt was already back in their hands as their advisor predicted, but it was unknown as to whether the buyer had collected *more* of the sword. At least the anathema situation had been turned to their advantage.

"Very well. A minor setback I've arleady accounted for, and with Krennell it should be easily resolved. Everything is proceeding as planned." the voice paused. "And rid us of Anona. That whole troupe of misfits is growing frustratingly closer than I would prefer."

Tany hesitated. "That would be unwise. Given what they know, if one of their number were to be removed in such a way, they would be given ample reason for continued interferance."

"Then lure them to Nishimo. Turn that little disaster in the mountains into an opportunity. That will take care of them."

"Yes..." Tany responded.

"And Tany? Excellent work. The Foothills were turned over to us with little opposition."

"Thank you." He said, not particularly meaning it. "Is that all you want of me?"

"No, I still have a use for you." the voice said condescendingly. "Go to Arjuf. I want Krennell's aid watertight. No failures Tany."

The ivory began to rematerialize on top of his tongue indicating that the other person had ended the mystical connection. Tany took the piece out of his mouth, wiped it down and stowed it back in the velvet pouch. He stood and sighed, the liquid shawl returning to life around him. He glared at it as it sensed the new goal he has been given. He spared a glance at the Manse then turned towards the road to Arjuf.

Comments

Ah, yes! Thanks for putting that up, onine. And Tany's back. Yay! -A&L